Drawer glide



June 1967 K. H. GUTNER DRAWER GLIDE Filed Sept. 14, 1966 INVENTOR. Kennezh/ffGui/ nev;

p 7%, 52%, X 3 I i H United States Patent 3,328,107 DRAWER GLIDE Kenneth H. Gutner, 591 Roger Williams, Highland Parlnlll. 60035 Filed Sept. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 579,401

4 Claims. (Cl. 312-347) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A member having a C-shapecl cross-section installable on the underside of a drawer to co-act with an elongated dresser guide having a T-shaped cross-section, the member having an elongated throat portion connecting the main body part of the member with a foldable end part adapted to be secured to a drawer back so that the memher is installable on drawers of different size.

Background of invention The problems of installation of a drawer slide center about the fact that drawers, conventionally constructed of wood, can vary in dimension substantially notwithstandingmass-production techniques. Drawers from one dresser to the next may vary by as much as A inch. To provide .holding power, particularly when a drawer is partially Withdrawn. This is particularly true of dresser drawers which are sizable and therefore exert a cantilever effect on the mounting means. Further, there must be easily reinsertion of the drawer. In the past, many expedients have been utilized in the slide or glide mechanism and none of these have successfully combined simplicity and therefore economy with satisfactory operation, i.e., again versatility in various phases of the operation. The provision of a fitting which achieves this combination of advantageous results constitutes another object of the invention. Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the details of construction and operation set down in this specification.

The invention is explained in conjunction with an illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer (open-side down) and which shows the inventive fitting;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, in fragmentary form, of the fitting of. FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the fitting which also shows. (in phantom line) a cooperating guide provided as part of the dresser;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear portion of the fitting.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the end of the fitting adapted to be secured to the rear of the drawer and in a condition prior to securement;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the front end portion of the inventive fitting; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mounting of the fitting front end.

In the illustration given and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 designates generally a drawer adapted to be mounted in a dresser or the like. The drawer may be of conventional form having a front panel 11 equipped with the usual handle or pull 12. Complet- 3,328,107 Patented June 27, 1967 ing the drawer, We find side panels 13, a rear panel 14 and a bottom panel 15. The inventive fitting is designated generally by the numeral 16 and is seen at its rear end to be attached as by a staple 17 (see FIG. 2) to the rear panel 14 and at its front end to be secured by an angled staple 18 to the bottom 15 and the front panel 11 with the extreme forward portion of the fitting 16 being inserted within a slot or recess 19 provided on the rear face of the front panel 12. conventionally the groove in the rear face of the front panel 11 which receives the bottom panel 15 is A" deep and /8" widethis may be augmented by the supplemental centering groove 19-see FIG. 7.

The fitting 1-6 is seen in enlarged form in FIG. 2 and includes as a major portion a generally channel-shaped or C-shaped part 20. The C-shaped part is defined by side walls 21 and 22 (see FIG. 6), a transverse wall 23 integral with the side walls 21 and 22, and confronting, inwardly-extending integral flanges 24 and 25 provided, respectively, at the ends of the side walls 21 and 22. It will be appreciated that in use, the fitting is positioned exactly oppositely to pictured so that the side walls 21 and 22 depend downwardly and at their lower edges are equipped with the flanges 24 and 25. This can be appreciated from a consideration of FIG. 3 wherein the cooperating guide 26 is seen in phantom line and which is adapted to receive in partially-enveloping relation the channel-shaped portion of the fitting 1-6.

At its rear end, the fitting 16 is equipped with a flared-tab portion generally designated 27. The flaredtab portion is integral with the wall 23 and is equipped with a plurality of transversely-elongated slots or apertures 28. For installation, the tab is bent at generally right angles to the wall 23 (upwardly in actual practice) along a line positioned along the neck portion 29. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 and the re-oriented tab 27 is seen .to be equipped with a staple 17 extending through one ing the channel-shaped portion 20 with the tab portion 27 provides a means for adapting the fitting to drawers of varying depths. It will be appreciated that with wood drawers, variations in depth of as much as inch may be encountered so that a fitting that permits forming the re-oriented tab at a plurality of points along its length is of considerable advantage in installation.

For the installation, the drawer front panel 11 is advantageously equipped with a central slot 19 in its rearwardlyfacing side. This provides the means for locating the fitting 16 centrally of the length of the drawer and to facilitate this location I provide a lug 30 (see FIG. 2) at the forward end of the fitting 16. The lug 3 0 additionally may be slit and upset as at 31 to provide a tab portion which fits relatively snugly within the supplemental centering slot 19 so as to further insure proper seating of the fitting 16. The wing portions 32 (see FIG. 2) extend into an elongated slot in the front panel 11 that serves to mount and position the bottom panel 15 in conventional fashion.

The manner of establishing the tab portion 31 is indicated schematically by means of the chain arrows applied to the enlarged view of the forward end of the fitting 16 as seen in FIG. 6. Additionally, the fitting 16 adjacent the lug 30 is equipped with a pair of openings 33 which receive the previously-mentioned angled staple 18 in securing the fitting 16 to the bottom panel 15 and front panel 11.

For further facilitating installation, I angle or bevel the rear edges of the side walls 21 and 22 as at 34 at the extreme rear-portion of FIG. 2. The side walls are seen to extend at an angle of about 25 to the vertical and this facilitates the ensleevement of the fitting 16 on the guide 26.

Once installation of the fitting 16 is achieved on the guide 2 6, I provide an advantageous hold close means in the form of elongated indentations 35 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 6). The metal (which may be 24-gauge sheet steel) is deformed by dies to provide the elongated ribs or guidegripping means 35. It will be appreciated that these elements 35 come into play as the drawer is substantially closed to make sure that there is a tight-but releasablegrip of the fitting relative to the guide 26 when the drawer is pushed shut.

On the other hand, when the drawer is substantially extended or removed from its housing Within the dresser,

there occurs a substantial cantilever weight which tends to spread the side walls 21 and 22 of the fitting. This is effectively resisted by reinforcing means provided adjacent the rear end of the fitting in the form of outwardlyextending substantially perimetric ribs 36 (see particularly FIG. 2). The ribs 36 in addition to reinforcing the side walls 22 and 21 against outward deformation also reinforce the flanges 24 and 25 against downward flexing which would cause them to lose their ensleeved relation relative to the guide 26.

In the practice of the invention, I can construct the fitting 16 of advantageously light metal such as the previously-mentioned 24-gauge sheet steel without loss of strength and rigidity. The combination of steel in the fitting and wood in the guide makes for easy movement of the drawer while preserving simplicity of construction and economy. Advantageously the fitting 16 can be developed by using the progressive-die technique wherein the workpiece advances essentially transversely of its length, being formed successively in various portions. The die development includes providing the grooves or slots 35 which may be indentations of the order of about 0.020 inch. Als-o, during the course of manufacture, I incorporate rust inhibitors in the quick-drying type oil and a silicone for easier sliding operation.

After manufacture, the installation is relatively straightforward since the forwardly-extending lug 30 is merely positioned within the slot 19 after which the tab 27 is folded upwardly by creasing the fitting 16 at an appropriate position along the neck 29. Staples are applied as at 18 and 17 for the front and rear portions, respectively. The engagement of the fitting with the guide 26 is facilitated by the beveled or angled side walls as at 34 and further, the flanges 24 and 25 are also undercut or beveled as at 37 (see FIG. 4). Further, the edges 34 and 37 are flared outwardly to facilitate mounting of the fitting 16 on the guide 26.

While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention has been set down for the purpose of illustration, many variations in the details herein given may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A drawer-slide fitting adapted to be secured to the underside of a drawer and being relatively elongated in the direction of drawer movement when being inserted into or retr-acted from a dresser or the like,

said fitting having a generally C-shape in transverse sec- 4 tion extending over the major portion of its length to cooperate with a guide on a dresser or the like, said fitting at one end thereof having an integral lug portion adapted to be positioned within a slot in a drawer front panel and first aperture means adjacent to but spaced rearwardly from said lug portion for receiving a staple or the like for securing the forward portion of said fitting to a drawer bottom,

said fitting at its other end being equipped with an integral tab portion adapted to be folded upwardly from the remainder of said fitting for positioning against the rear panel of a drawer, second aperture means in said flared-tab portion for the receipt of a staple or the like for securing the rearward portion of said fitting to a drawer back panel, and,

an integral neck portion coupling said flared-tab portion to said major portion, said neck portion being generally planar with substantially parallel edges to permit upwardly-folding said tab portion at any one of a plurality of points whereby said fitting is installable on a variety of different-size drawers.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said major portion adjacent said neck portion is equipped with integral stiffening means to stabilize the co-action of said fitting with a guide when said d-rawer is in retracted position, said means including a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart, transversely extending, outwardly projecting ribs to provide inwardly projecting, spaced apart portions between said ribs whereby said fitting is adapted to contact a cooperating dresser guide at said spaced apart portions.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said C-shape is defined by a top wall integral with depending generally planar side walls with the lower edges of said side walls being equipped with generally planar integral confronting flanges adapted to cooperate with a guide, said side walls adjacent said neck portion terminating along a down wardly and forwardly-inclined line, said side walls and flanges at the edges thereof adjacent said neck portion being outwardly flared relative to the planes of said sidewalls and flanges.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said lug portion is equipped with an upstanding flange part for receipt in a drawer front panel slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,135,704 4/1915 Lofton et al 308-36 2,559,237 7/1951 Waller 308-36 2,559,322 7/1951 Skamser 312-348 X 2,711,358 6/1955 Gussack 312-349 X 2,841,460 7/1958 Ranier 312-347 X 3,033,639 5/1962 Emery 312-348 3,039,838 6/1962 Koch et a1 312-348 X 3,185,530 5/1965 Reiss et al. 308-36 FOREIGN PATENTS 782,451 3/ 1935 France.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,328 ,107 June 27 1967 Kenneth H. Gutner It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4 lines 13 and 16, strike out "flared" each occurrence.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October 1968 SEAL) Lttest:

ldward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Lttesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A DRAWER-SLIDE FITTING ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF A DRAWER AND BEING RELATIVELY ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF DRAWER MOVEMENT WHEN BEING INSERTED INTO OR RETRACTED FROM A DRESSER OR THE LIKE, SAID FITTING HAVING A GENERALLY C-SHAPE IN TRANSVERSE SECTION EXTENDING OVER THE MAJOR PORTION OF ITS LENGTH TO COOPERATE WITH A GUIDE ON A DRESSER OR THE LIKE, SAID FITTING AT ONE END THEREOF HAVING AN INTEGRAL LUG PORTION ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED WITHIN A SLOT IN A DRAWER FRONT PANEL AND FIRST APERTURE MEANS ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED REARWARDLY FROM SAID LUG PORTION FOR RECEIV ING A STAPLE OR THE LIKE FOR SECURING THE FORWARD PORTION OF SAID FITTING TO A DRAWER BOTTOM, SAID FITTING AT ITS OTHER END BEING EQUIPPED WITH AN INTEGRAL TAB PORTION ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED UPWARDLY FROM THE REMAINDER OF SAID FITTING FOR POSITIONING AGAINST THE REAR PANEL OF A DRAWER, SECOND APERTURE MEANS IN SAID FLARED-TAB PORTION FOR THE RECEIPT OF A STAPLE OR THE LIKE FOR SECURING THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID FITTING TO A DRAWER BACK PANEL, AND, AN INTEGRAL NECK PORTION COUPLING SAID FLARED-TAB PORTION TO SAID MAJOR PORTION, SAID NECK PORTION BEING GENERALLY PLANAR WITH SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL EDGES TO PERMIT UPWARDLY-FOLDING SAID TAB PORTION AT ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF POINTS WHEREBY SAID FITTING IS INSTALLABLE ON A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT-SIZE DRAWERS. 